Dehumidification system for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a dehumidification system for a vehicle, which is developed to remove humidity from the vehicle interior through a separate path from an air-conditioner or a cooling system, installed in the existing vehicle. An air-conditioning system for the vehicle has a circulation path in which an inner refrigerant passes through an evaporator with a blower fan blowing air into the interior of the vehicle from a condenser via an expansion valve, and the inner refrigerant is returned to the condenser by a compressor. The dehumidification system for the vehicle comprises a water jacket, a heat-exchanger, and a circulation conduit. The water jacket with a conduit which is extended therein for heat absorption is positioned close to the vehicle engine to absorb the heat thereof. The heat-exchanger is located on the path in which the vehicle&#39;s interior air is circulated and cooled by the blower fan and removes the humidity by condensing the surrounding air. The circulation conduit comprises a first conduit and a second conduit. The first conduit supplies the heated fluid or gas in the water jacket to the heat-exchanger and has a valve on the fluid or gas supply path. The second conduit transfers and circulates the fluid or gas which is condensed in the heat-exchanger, to the water jacket, and has a check valve in the middle thereof to move the fluid or gas in a fixed direction.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a dehumidification system for avehicle, and more particularly, to a dehumidification system for avehicle, which is developed to remove displeasure due to high humidityor to defrost or defog on a rainy day or on a day of high temperatureand humidity in a rainy season through a separate path from an airconditioner for cooling or a heater for heating the interior of thevehicle.

BACKGROUND ART

With development of automotive industry and an increase of automobiles,households often have at least one vehicle.

In Korea having four distinct seasons, people operate an air conditionerto cool the interior of the vehicle in the summer season and operate aheater to heat the interior of the vehicle and defrost and defog windowsof the vehicle in the winter season.

However, because vehicles are not equipped with a dehumidificationsystem, turning on the air conditioner in hot and humid weather couldlower temperature but cannot reduce the humidity, and hence, the driverfeels displeasure due to the high humidity and moisture. Accordingly,many people use dehumidifying agents to reduce the humidity, but it isless effective.

As another method to lower the humidity, one can operate the heaterinstalled in the vehicle, but it is virtually impossible in the summerseason.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Technical Problems

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solvethe above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior arts, and it is anobject of the present invention to provide a dehumidification system fora vehicle to remove humidity from the interior of the vehicle using heatof an air conditioning system and an engine of the vehicle.

Technical Solutions

To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides adehumidification system for a vehicle, which is installed in anair-conditioning system having a circulation path in which an innerrefrigerant passes through an evaporator with a blower fan blowing airinto interior of a vehicle from a condenser via an expansion valve, andthen, is returned to the condenser by a compressor, which comprises: awater jacket with a conduit that is extended therein for heatabsorption, the water jacket being positioned close to a vehicle engineto absorb heat of the engine; a heat-exchanger located on a path inwhich inside air of the vehicle is circulated and cooled by the blowerfan, for removing humidity by condensing surrounding air; and acirculation conduit having a first conduit and a second conduit, thefirst conduit supplying heated fluid or gas in the water jacket to theheat-exchanger and having a valve mounted on the fluid or gas supplypath, the second conduit being adapted to transfer and circulate thefluid or gas which is condensed in the heat-exchanger, to the waterjacket, and the second conduit having a check valve formed in a middlethereof to move the fluid or gas in a fixed direction.

Moreover, the conduit formed in the water jacket has first and second3-way valves respectively mounted at a start point and an end pointthereof and a circulation conduit formed to connect the first and second3-way valves with each other.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

As described above, the dehumidification system for the vehicleaccording to the present invention can promote a pleasant environment bykeeping the humidity low in the interior of the vehicle withoutsignificantly increasing an extra energy loss because it can remove thehumidity from the interior of the vehicle using heat naturally generatedfrom a vehicle engine.

Moreover, on a day of high temperature and humidity in the rainy seasonof summer, when a driver operates a cooling system, the insidetemperature of the vehicle gets lower but the humidity is still high,and hence, the discomfort index is high due to high humidity and thedriver may feel difficulty in driving. In this instance, thehumidification system according to the present invention can create apleasant interior environment and refresh the driver by keeping thehumidity low.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an installation state of adehumidification system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an engine cooling state of thedehumidification system.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a dehumidification state of thedehumidification system.

BEST MODE FOR PRACTICING INVENTION

Reference will be now made in detail to the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an installation state of adehumidification system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of thepresent invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an engine cooling stateof the dehumidification system, and FIG. 3 is a schematic view of adehumidification state of the dehumidification system. Thedehumidification system for the vehicle, which is installed in anair-conditioning system having a circulation path in which an innerrefrigerant passes through an evaporator 3 with a blower fan 31 blowingair into the interior of the vehicle from a condenser 1 via an expansionvalve 32, and then, is returned to the condenser 1 by a compressor 2,includes: a water jacket 4 with a conduit 41 that is extended thereinfor heat absorption, the water jacket 4 being positioned close to thevehicle engine to absorb the heat of the engine; a heat-exchanger 5located on the path, in which the inside air of the vehicle iscirculated and cooled by the blower fan 31, for removing the humidity bycondensing the surrounding air; and a circulation conduit 6 having afirst conduit 61 and a second conduit 62, the first conduit 61 supplyingthe heated fluid or gas in the water jacket to the heat-exchanger 5 andhaving a valve 63 mounted on the fluid or gas supply path, the secondconduit 62 being adapted to transfer and circulate the fluid or gas,which is condensed in the heat-exchanger 5, to the water jacket 4, thesecond conduit 62 having a check valve 64 formed in the middle thereofto move the fluid or gas in a fixed direction.

That is, the water jacket 4 receives heat of the vehicle engine to heatwater or gas therein, and the heated water or gas is cooled in theheat-exchanger 5 mounted close to the blower fan 31, and in thisinstance, the outside air is condensed and dehumidified.

The present invention is characterized in that the dehumidificationsystem uses heat unused in the vehicle engine as a heat source foroperating the system and serves to cool the engine heated by theoperation, and hence, it does not need extra energy.

Furthermore, in case a normal cooling system is operated, it is actuatedby an internal air circulation system without sucking the exterior airto the interior of the vehicle, and hence, dehumidification effect maybe further increased.

Additionally, the conduit 41 formed in the water jacket 4 has first andsecond 3-way valves 42 and 43 respectively mounted at a start point andan end point thereof and a circulation conduit 44 formed to connect thefirst and second 3-way valves 42 and 43 with each other.

In case the dehumidification system is not operated, when the valve 62is turned off or when the fluid or gas passes through the first conduit61 from the first and second 3-way valves 42 and 43 and isheat-exchanged in the heat-exchanger 5 and a flow of the fluid or gas isautomatically controlled along the second conduit 62, the conduit 41 isconnected with the circulation conduit 44, and hence, the water jacket 4can be utilized as a water cooling system that cools the heat of theengine while water is circulated therein.

In this instance, the first and second 3-way valves 42 and 43 are valvesbranched in three directions to control and connect flow directions ofthe fluid or gas, and of course, they can be very useful if they aremanufactured in a valve type to automatically control a flow of interiorfluid.

In a dehumidification mode, the 3-way valves 42 and 43 may be controlledto prevent a flow of the fluid to the circulation conduit 44 or to allowthe fluid can pass in the upward direction but cannot pass in theopposite direction, when viewed in the drawings, by the check valve thatis mounted on the circulation conduit 44.

The water jacket 4 usually carries out the engine cooling action bycirculating cooling water therein, and in the dehumidification mode,closes the circulation conduit 44 at the second 3-way valve 43 to flowthe cooling water into the first conduit 61, so that it can carry outthe dehumidification action using heat of the cooling water in theheat-exchanger 5. The cooling water which finishes heat-exchange in theheat-exchanger 5 is transferred to the check valve 64 through the secondconduit 62, and then, the flow of the cooling water is controlled andkept from the second conduit 62 to the conduit 41 by the first 3-wayvalve 42.

1. In an air-conditioning system having a circulation path in which aninner refrigerant passes through an evaporator with a blower fan blowingair into interior of a vehicle from a condenser via an expansion valve,and then, is returned to the condenser by a compressor, adehumidification system for a vehicle comprising: a water jacket with aconduit that is extended therein for heat absorption, the water jacketbeing positioned close to a vehicle engine to absorb heat of the engine;a heat-exchanger located on a path in which inside air of the vehicle iscirculated and cooled by the blower fan, for removing humidity bycondensing surrounding air; and a circulation conduit having a firstconduit and a second conduit, the first conduit supplying heated fluidor gas in the water jacket to the heat-exchanger and having a valvemounted on the fluid or gas supply path, the second conduit beingadapted to transfer and circulate the fluid or gas which is condensed inthe heat-exchanger, to the water jacket, and the second conduit having acheck valve formed in a middle thereof to move the fluid or gas in afixed direction.
 2. The dehumidification system according to claim 1,wherein the conduit formed in the water jacket has first and second3-way valves respectively mounted at a start point and an end pointthereof and a circulation conduit-formed to connect the first and second3-way valves with each other.